Ifortign anb FRANCE.—After several days' debate, the Legislative Assembly has
affirmed the principle of the Ministerial bill for the reestablishment of the impost on potable liquors: the majority for the bill was 445, the minority against it 220. The Council of Discipline of the Parisian bar issued their decision on Wednesday in the case of the lawyers who refused to plead before the High Court of Justice at Versailles. Three were reprirnanded,—MM. Cr6mieux, Madier de Montjau, and Dain; and four were admonished,— namely, MM. Jules Fevre, Desmarets, Laissac, and Cellier.
M. Dillon, Consul of France at the Sandwich Islands, arrived some days ago in Paris. It is believed that the Goverment will not now delay to publish the official documents on the events which have occurred there.— La Patrie.
SPAIN.—Madrid correspondence of the 13th states that the greatest por- tion of the Spanish expeditionary corps had reached the Spanish shores from Rome.
M. Sanchez Silva had brought forward a bill for consolidating all the debt into two per cent stock : the Minister of Finance opposed it, and it would no doubt be rejected.
The correspondent of the Daily News notes a point perhaps intended to bear on the relations of the estranged Spanish and English Cabinets. "Al- though the Government has received no official news of the death of the Queen Dowager of England, yet in consequence thereof the Court will go into mourning, and the diversions of every kind at the Palace have been suspended."
Piedrnontese elections have gone in favour of the Go- -vernment, by a majority of nearly two to one. The seats were 180 for Piedmont, 20 for the island of Sardinia: of the 180 Piedmontese seats the Ministerialists had gained 116, the Left only 45, the Left Centre 17. The seats for Sardinia are expected to be wholly filled by Ministerialists.
Lima AND Crime. —The Indian mail has brought advices from Cal- cutta to the 8th November, and Hongkong to the 30th October; contain- ing but little news of interest. The Governor-General's health is said to be still "not of the best order," and the rumours thicken that he is about to return to England forthwith. Sir Charles Napier is said also to be contemplating an immediate return, but for a different and characteristic reason: he complains with disgust of his inability to carry out his military reforming; the Indian "Military Boards" thwarting him in all things, and producing sharp maledictions from his caustic tongue. Sir Henry Lawrence continues his progress through Gholab Singh's dominions; and his conferences with Gholab Singh on the difficulties which that prince finds in carrying out the agricultural and governmental reforms suggested to him by the British for the easier rule of their conterminous territories. The Sikh chieftains who were lately captured for conspiracy are alluded to in a few lines: it is stated that they " will be transferred ultimately to safe keeping on this [the Bombay] side of the Sutlej."
Sir Thomas Turton had presented a petition in the Calcutta Insolvent Court; and had been refused protection from arrest, by the Chief Justice, Sir Lawrence Peel, on the ground of his "knowing and deliberate flagrant breaches of trust." He had been cast into prison, and was not likely to ham thence at any fixed period.
The news from China chiefly concerns the operations of our war-ships against the pirates who invade the Southern coast of China, and sweep the seas of the unprotected ships of all nations. The numbers of these piratical fleets are so great, their cooperative manceuvres so extensive, and their ar- maments and stores afloat and ashore so immense, that they are suspected to be in the pay of the Chinese Government. Our war-steamers have been successful in several engagements with squadrons of them: some sixty junks have been destroyed, and above a thousand pirates killed. The junks were well armed with cannon of modern make, chiefly British; which were skilfully and bravely served, though " fortunately " with little effect on our ships or men.
UNITED STATES.—The snail brought by the Caledonia at the beginning of the week contains no political news beyond the statement that Congress had met at Washington on the 3d instant. The Senate was immediately adjourned before any indicative step had been taken. The House of Re- presentatives load nearly chosen as Speaker Mr. Cobbe, the " Locofoco " or Democratic candidate, in preference to Mr. Winthrop, the Whig [Con- servative] candidate: the numbers were 102 for Cobbe, 96 for Winthrop, and 23 for Scattering; and these numbers being insufficient to elect either candidate, the organization of the House could not take place or the Pre- eident's message be delivered.
In default of the message itself, the New York correspondent of the Standard cites "a semi-official list of the topics which will principally engage the attention of the Administration in various reports"; and in a manner indicating that they will receive favourable mention or recom- mendation, he enumerates the following as those which will interest the English reader: projects for opening communications across the Isthmus Of Darien, with American possessions on the Pacific, to be referred to the proper departments, also surveys and explorations in order to the choice of a plan; the 'substitution of specific for ad valorem duties, and particularly an advance on iron; a loan of 18,000,000 dollars to meet the deficiency in the Treasury; a uniform postage of 5 cents; an increase of the army for the defence a the frontier.
The American papers devote great:space to the details of an extmordi. nary murder committed at Boston.
Dr. George Parkman, a wealthy member of the medical profession, disappeared at the end of last month, and no trace of him dead or alive was discovered for ft week. On the last day of November, tokens were discovered which led to a search in the laboratory of Dr. John W. Webster, the Chemical Professor of Harvard University, an intimate friend of Dr. Parkman. The search resulted in the di.s. covery of the trunk, one leg, and two arms of the missing gentleman's body, and of proofs that the head, the four extremities, and one thigh, had been burnt in the furnace of Dr. Webster's laboratory. It was found that Dr. Parkman had lent Dr. Webster money, had lately been pressing to have it repaid, and had goo the length of rather unprofessional inquiries to ascertain if Dr. 'Webster could re- pay. The latter was very indignant at those steps, but invited Dr. Puirman to an interview at his professional rooms in the College. This interview he is known to have attended, and he was never seen afterwards. Dr. Webster hao been arrested; and there are a multitude of circumstances indicating that he murdered his creditor, and then endeavoured to burn the corpse. The body was identified, as Patrick O'Connor's load been in this country, partly by artificial teeth found unconsumed in the ashes of the farnaoe.
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